


Baby's First Christmas

by MandalorianDragonTrainer



Category: Iron Man (Movies), Marvel Cinematic Universe
Genre: Christmas, Dad!Tony, Domestic Fluff, F/M, Gen, Howard Stark Is Still Ruining Things, Pepperony Live On a Farm, With Their Beautiful Baby Girl, brief PTSD, married!Pepperony, pepperonygiftexchange
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-12-27
Updated: 2018-12-27
Packaged: 2019-09-28 08:09:17
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,283
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/17179127
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/MandalorianDragonTrainer/pseuds/MandalorianDragonTrainer
Summary: Christmas has never really been Tony Stark's thing.But now he's a dad.





	Baby's First Christmas

**Author's Note:**

> Part of the DailyPepperony Gift Exchange! Merry belated Christmas to @downeystarkjr on Tumblr! I'm so sorry this is late, and I apologize if it seems rushed or sloppily written. I hope you had a wonderful day!

4:13 AM.

 

Tony Stark buried his head deeper beneath the pillow, hoping to drown out the blaring ring of the home phone. Who would be calling at this obscenely early hour? The ringing stopped for a moment, then started back up again just as Tony was about to drift back off. Moaning dramatically, he rolled over to glance at the clock yet again.

 

4:14 AM.

 

Another moment of silence, then the caller dialed back for the third time.

 

“All right, all right, I’m comin,’ I’m comin’…”

 

Not bothering to flip on the lights, Tony shuffled to the kitchen and rummaged through the pantry, finding a half-eaten cannister of Christmas cookies and stuffing one in his mouth before finally lifting the phone, by now ringing for the fourth time, from the counter.

 

“What’s up?”

 

“Tony?”

 

“Obie?” Tony finished swallowing the mouthful of cookies. “That you?”

 

“Yeah, Tony, it’s me,” Obadiah replied. “I’m afraid I have some… pretty terrible news.”

 

Tony’s heart fell to his feet. “Obie, what’s going on?”

 

“It’s your parents. There was an accident. I’m sorry, Tony, but they’re dead.”

 

_They’re dead._

_Your parents are dead._

_They’re dead… they’re dead… they’re—_

Tony shot upright and clutched his racing heart, the bruising ache of it like an anvil on his chest. He sucked in air, releasing it shakily. He wasn’t an orphaned college student any longer. He was Iron Man. He was a husband. He was—

 

“Pepper?”

 

Ice spread through his veins at the touch of the cold sheets on his wife’s side of the bed. Where was Pepper? Why was she gone? Was she dead, like his parents?

 

“Pepper? Pepper!” Tony stumbled from bed, crying out her name. Pepper couldn’t be gone. She had to be here somewhere. She had to be safe. She had to—

 

A warm glow filtered from beneath the door at the end of the hallway. The baby’s room.

 

Hope crept into his heart as he approached the welcoming light, blossoming into full relief once he peered inside. There was Pepper, asleep in the rocking chair, their infant daughter resting in her arms. They were all right.

 

Pepper’s eyes fluttered open. “Oh… what-what time is it?”

 

“Early…” Tony smiled lovingly. “How are the two prettiest girls in the universe?”

 

“Shhhh…” Pepper chided with a small grin, careful not to jostle her daughter as she got to her feet. “Maybe she’ll sleep in.”

 

Tony took Pepper into his arms and gazed down at their baby. Morgan Maria Stark. From the moment his angel arrived on a lazy summer afternoon, the great Tony Stark had never been more in love. “I swear, Pep, she gets more beautiful every day…” he tenderly rubbed a thumb across her chubby pink cheek. Her glittery blue eyes, perfect reflections of her mother’s, were closed at the moment, framed by the soft brown curls beginning to cover her little head.

 

“I can’t believe tomorrow’s her first Christmas,” Pepper glanced up at her husband, eyes filled with joy. “She’s growing so fast…”

 

“Oh for sure. Before we know it, she’ll be bringing home boys. I’ll have to invest in a quality shotgun—”

 

“I’m serious, Tony,” Pepper rolled her eyes. “Baby’s first Christmas is special.”

 

“You’re absolutely right. That’s why I’m getting her an extra special present. Remember that stuffed rabbit?” Tony’s eyes twinkled. “I’m thinking about having it fished out of the Pacific especially for our little girl.”

 

Pepper shook her head, giggling. “You never stop joking, do you? Here,” she placed Morgan in Tony’s arms. “I’ll go start coffee.”

 

“Sounds good,” Tony smirked playfully, spinning her into a kiss.

 

“Don’t wake her up!” Pepper scolded, though she was unable to hide the redness in her cheeks as she hurried from the nursery.

 

Little Morgan stirred in Tony’s arms. “Oops,” he bounced her slightly, hoping to lull her back to sleep. “Your mama’s gonna kill me…”

 

Morgan blinked at Tony before smiling in delight, stretching her tiny hands up to grasp at his chin. “Hey, baby girl… can you say ‘dada?’ C’mon, I know you can do it!”

 

She stared at him blankly.

 

Laughing and kissing her forehead, Tony propped the baby up on his shoulder, allowing her to stare in awe at the colorful Christmas lights Pepper had strung throughout the nursery.

 

“You like the twinkle lights, don’t you, princess?” Tony gently rubbed Morgan’s back, gazing at the rainbow of lights reflected in her little eyes, wishing he could share in her joy.

 

Christmas was never an easy time for Tony. His parents had died a mere few days before Christmas almost thirty years before, forever placing a dark cloud over the once joyous holiday. Then, five years ago, just when the bitterness around Christmas was beginning to fade, his beloved Pepper was kidnapped and tortured by a demon from his past.

 

“I’m sorry, sweetheart…” Tony hugged his baby girl tightly. “You deserve a perfect Christmas.”

 

And that was something that the universe refused to let Tony Stark have.

 

Morgan securely propped on his hip, Tony sauntered down the stairs to find Pepper. The baby screeched in joy at the sight of her mother, seated at the kitchen table with a mug of coffee as she pored over her laptop.

 

“Someone wants to see Mama,” Tony grinned wanly, placing Morgan in Pepper’s arms.

 

“How are you, my darling?” Pepper cooed, kissing the baby’s cheeks and cuddling her close. “Merry Christmas Eve!” Morgan smiled and clapped her hands, as though she understood what her mother was saying.

 

“I’m gonna go check on the goats,” Tony kissed Pepper on the top of the head. She glanced back at him, noticing the sadness in his eyes.

 

“You okay, baby?”

 

“Hmm? Yeah, of course… I’ll be right back.”

 

The crisp winter air stung Tony’s lungs as he stepped onto the frost-covered lawn, trekking towards the barn as the pink blush of dawn peered over the horizon. “Morning, boys!” Tony called as he heaved open the doors to the magnificent structure, which smelled sweetly of fresh hay. One day, Tony hoped to fill it up with every sort of barnyard creature imaginable. Some dairy cows, a flock of sheep, a pot-bellied pig or two, horses for he and Pepper and a pony for Morgan. But for the moment, as Tony and Pepper were preoccupied with their little one, it was home only to a few chickens and two baby goats—Castor and Pollux. The little creatures rushed to greet him, butting at him with their newly-grown horns as they clamored for breakfast.

 

“One at a time, you little terrors,” Tony smiled, gently pushing them back with his foot. “Or Santa’s gonna have to bring you a lump of coal.”

 

Ignoring the threat, Castor seized Tony’s pants in his teeth and started chowing down.

 

“Ah, who am I kidding. You’d probably just eat it.” He emptied a bucket of grain into the large rubber dish, absentmindedly stroking the animals’ backs as they practically inhaled the feed. “Did you guys know it’s Christmas Eve? I’m betting you do, on account of their being goats present at the Nativity, I’m sure. You’ve probably got all sorts of goat Christmas traditions. Christmas has never really been my thing, you know? Not that I don’t like, it’s just… well, Dad was never home around the holidays—he was always off at some party, and he usually took Mom with him. Then…they died. Just a few days before Christmas. I didn’t celebrate it for years after that…and when I started up again, Killian kidnapped Pepper. Guess what I’m saying is, I usually screw up Christmas, and I don’t want Morgan….” Tony’s voice trailed off, finally realizing he was confiding in goats.

 

“Don’t want her to what, Tony?”

 

“Eavesdropping? Can’t a man have a conversation with his goats in peace?”

 

Undeterred by Tony’s joking, Pepper wrapped her arms around her shoulders, concern in her eyes. “Tell me what’s up.”

 

“I, um…” Tony sighed. “I don’t want Morgan having Christmases like… like I had as a kid.”

 

“She won’t, Tony,” Pepper pressed her forehead against Tony’s.

 

“You sound so sure.”

 

“That’s because I am…” she cupped Tony’s cheek in her hand. “Tell you what… May just got here to babysit Morgan while I finish up shopping. Why don’t you come with me? You can pick out something nice for Morgan… with my guidance, of course.”

 

“What?” Tony’s lip curled teasingly. “You don’t trust me to Christmas shop on my own?”

 

“Not for a second.” Pepper took Tony’s hand in hers and pulled him along to the cars. Tony opened the passenger door to his beloved Audi and helped his wife inside. Without needing to ask any questions, he drove to the shopping mall he knew Pepper liked best and spent the next three hours contentedly following her around, dutifully carrying her purse and a growing number of shopping bags.

 

“Have you seen anything you want for Morgan yet?” Pepper inquired as she debated between a bracelet and a pair of earrings for her secretary.

 

Tony shrugged. Sure, he’d spotted more than a few magnificent toys throughout the day, but considering that he could buy even the most expensive one with only the change in his car console—probably a year’s pay for the average person—none of them seemed special enough. He thought back to a childhood of gaudy, extravagant, and utterly impersonal gifts from his father.

 

Morgan deserved better.

 

The sun was low in the sky when Pepper convinced Tony that they ought to be heading home. Empty-handed. Nothing was good enough for Morgan. Discouraged, Tony relented and followed his wife out.

 

A whimpering caught his attention.

 

A young man was leaning against the building, texting away on his cell phone. A cardboard box sat at his feet, with the words “PEDIGREE DOBERMAN PUPPIES, $50” written in Sharpie on the side.

 

“It’s so sad,” Pepper shook her head. “Selling those little puppies to just anyone who’ll take them.”

 

A light bulb went off in Tony’s head. “Hey, maybe we could…”

 

“Tony, NO.”

 

But Tony was already approaching the box. A small black puppy, with tan markings on its feet, chest, and over its eyes, was curled up in a towel, all by itself.

 

“Is this the last one?” he asked the man, who didn’t even bother to look up from his phone.

 

“Mm-hmm. I’m taking her to the pound if she isn’t gone in 30 minutes.”

 

“Hey, Pep?”

 

“Tony, you have _got_ to be kidding.”

 

He shot her a mischievous smirk. “I think I just found Morgan’s Christmas present.”

 

“Tony! We _cannot_ get a _puppy!_ ”

 

“Why not?” Tony gently lifted the animal into his arms, cradling her to his chest. “I’m home all the time… I can take of her. I used to beg my dad for one… he said no pets, ever. Hence why I got so into robots. Think of how nice it’ll be for Morgan to grow up with a dog? Something to love her and protect her? Be her friend even when she feels alone?” The puppy licked at Tony’s chin. He gently rubbed her floppy ears. “Someone to always remind her how much we love her.”

 

“You… are such a softie,” Pepper shook her head, fondly petting the puppy’s ears. “All right then.”

 

Grinning, Tony whipped out his checkbook and added a few extra zeroes behind the “5.” “Here,” he slapped it into the young man’s hand. “Maybe don’t sell dogs to any scumbags off the streets anymore? My wife doesn’t approve.”

 

The kid’s jaw dropped.

 

By the time the Starks got to the Audi, the puppy was sound asleep zipped up in Tony’s coat. “Morgan’s gonna love her.”

 

“And _you_ are going to love taking care of her,” Pepper reminded with a wink.

 

“Absolutely.”

 

“What are you going to name her?”

 

Tony’s eyes practically danced. “After a dear old friend of yours…. a Christmas present, no less.” He held the puppy up as though she were the future Lion King. “Meet Bunny Stark.”

Snow was gently fluttering down from darkening sky when Tony and Pepper arrived home at the farmhouse. Rhodey and Happy were on the porch, clearly trying to escape the endless chattering of Peter Parker. The others were set to arrive later.

 

“What’s that you got?” Rhodey raised an eyebrow at the bulge under Tony’s coat.

 

“A little something for my little girl.”

 

Peter was sitting on the couch with little Morgan on his lap, talking nonsense to her. “Oh, hey Mr. and Mrs. Stark! I was just trying to see if I could get her to say my name.”

 

“She still hasn’t said her first word, Peter,” Pepper smiled as she took her baby into her lap.

 

“And when she does, it’ll be ‘dada,’” Tony added. “Although ‘Iron Man’ is acceptable as well.”

 

Pepper leaned against Tony’s shoulder as he kissed her and their daughter. “Morgan, baby… I got a little something for you. Somebody to love you in case… in case I’m ever not here to do it.” He unzipped his jacket and out popped a very excited Bunny. Morgan squealed in delight.

 

“A _puppy!_ ” Peter was nearly as excited as the baby. Rhodey burst into laughter, as did May. Even Happy had to smile.

 

Tony drew Pepper and Morgan close, speaking softly. “I love you. I always will, too…” His eyes wandered about the room. His friends. His family. All together, smiling and laughing. No matter what happened, Morgan would always have someone who loved her. Of that much he was sure.

 

“You know, Pep…” he kissed his wife sweetly. “I think I may actually have a good Christmas.”

 

As if on cue, Morgan squeaked in joy, reaching up to Tony.

 

“Dada!”

**Author's Note:**

> DISCLAIMER: As a veterinary student and Doberman owner I do not advise doing what Tony did in real life. Puppies, especially puppies that grow into enormous, powerful dogs, should not be adopted on a whim (especially from sketchy folks outside a mall).


End file.
